I am Immortal
by HITMARX
Summary: A continuation of the Death Note story after the end of the anime. The Kira killings return, and Near, Matsuda, and Aizawa have a new case to solve. But who is this new Kira, and what are his intentions? The investigators struggle to gather evidence. This new Kira is different. Nothing leads back to him. No connections. Is he that good, or a ghost out for revenge?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Matsuda was the first to find Light's body. He hated the sight of corpses, but somehow seeing Light like that brought him peace. The body lie on the staircase, eyes wide open. Matsuda looked into them. He got lost in them. He realized what had just occurred.

"Oh my God, I killed Light. I killed Light!" He fell to his knees, Light's corpse continued to stare. Aisawa and the others arrived shortly after. They found Matsuda on the ground sobbing. "Get up Matsuda." Aisawa scolded.

"B-but Aisawa I…"

"You saved the world from a terrible threat," he interrupted. "You're not a murderer Matsuda." He rose to his feet. He felt less guilty now, in fact he was relieved.

"You're right, thanks Aisawa." Together the men carried Light's corpse down to the courtyard outside the warehouse. They eased his body to the ground.

"I wonder where the Shinigami will go now." Aisawa said.

"Back to its own world I guess," Matsuda replied. The group's attention was turned to the horizon. A black speck could be seen flying off into the distance, arms and legs dangling, the gleam of a red sphere in one hand.

. . . . . . . .

Light's true identity was kept a secret from the world. Instead the story was he was another victim of the Kira killings. Sayu and Mrs. Yagami were devastated, now having lost both Light and his father. Misa felt life was no longer worth living. She committed suicide by throwing herself off her hotel building's roof. On her corpse was a bloody note that said "My one shining Light in life is gone, so I too must now go into the darkness".

Light's funeral filled the largest church in Tokyo, and lines stretched miles long of people wanting to pay their respects. It was difficult for the officers to play along, but they kept face. Sayu turned to Matsuda for comfort, but he was reluctant to give it. All he could think of were Light's eyes. How alive they looked. How deceptive they were. If only she knew the truth, he thought. Then what would she think? What would she do? The Kira case was over, but it was the emptiest Matsuda had felt in a long time.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Several months passed...

The shinigami world continued to decay into nothingness. No death notes had been released into the human world. Ryuuk sat atop a mountain and thought about the past...and apples. No one bothered him, and even those that did were only told the story of Light Yagami. He was beginning to sound like a broken record. Rumors were beginning to spread of a new shinigami who seemed to appear from nothingness. For weeks he had been searching for the one called Ryuuk. Many pointed him to the mountain peak. For two days the shinigami climbed the mountain. It would have been quicker, but this particular shinigami walked with a limp. Ryuuk was waiting for him at the top. The mysterious shinigami approached Ryuuk and spoke. "I hear you know how to get to the human world."

Ryuuk raised an eyebrow. After all it was a peculiar question. He turned to face his visitor. He grinned, and decided to play along. "Yes, I was once there. I obtained a second Death Note and dropped it there hoping someone entertaining would pick it up."

"Did that happen?" the shinigami asked.

Ryuuk chuckled. "Oh yes, most definitely.

"How long were you there?" He asked.

"More than six years," Ryuuk stated.

"That must have been a bore," he said.

Ryuuk laughed. "Actually, it was quite interesting. Humans are actually very entertaining creatures."

"Then do you miss it?" he asked.

"Hmmm, in some ways I guess I do. I had all the apples I could eat. Human world apples are much better than the ones here after all. And there was one human who…" he trailed off and sighed. "Tell me, would you like to hear the story of a human named Light Yagami?" Ryuuk asked.

"No need", the shinigami said. He turned and began to limp away. "I know that story all too well."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The Kira murders stopped completely after Light's death, but support for Kira remained. Light may not have achieved his goal as ruler of a new world, but he did change it. All the Kira investigators returned to their routine jobs. Near moved on to other cases, still upset over the decision of not revealing Light's identity. Life seemed to be well for all, and time went on.

. . . . . . . .

Three years passed. Aisawa was promoted to chief for his many successful cases and his detective skills, much of which he obtained through hunting for Kira. Knowing his family was safe from harm, he could focus more on his police work and investigating. He named Matsuda his lieutenant. It was an easy choice. Matsuda at times was more dedicated to the Kira case than Aisawa had been. Together they formed one of the best crime fighting pairs in Tokyo. After taking on Kira for all those years, everything else was a walk in the park to them. Thanks to the efforts of them and Kira, crime was at an all-time low.

Matsuda became more serious after Light's death. After all he believed he had been the one who ended Light's life. He did however maintain his interest in Misa-Misa, and he was devastated over her suicide. A concert was held for her instead of a funeral because "it's what she would have wanted". A memorial concert was held in her honor every year after, but Matsuda thought better of it. He thought it would just be a distraction to hold on to his old obsession. However, after being encouraged to go by Aisawa, he reluctantly went.

As he entered the fairgrounds of the concert, he was amazed at how many people were there, and how many cute girls there were. He was so awe struck that he didn't notice the girl in front of him, he accidentally bumped into her and they were both knocked to the ground.

"Oh my I'm so sorry." She said.

"No its fine," Matsuda scratched his head and stared at the ground, quite embarrassed. He knew it was a bad idea to come. "It was my fault anyw…" He stopped. This girl was as beautiful as Misa-Misa. Golden blond hair and a smile that could melt any man's heart in an instant.

"I'm surprised to see a guy like you here," she giggled.

Matsuda's heart sank, she was mocking him. "I-I'm actually security for the event." He lied.

"Oh darn, I was hoping you'd watch the concert with me. I actually thought it was quite charming for you to be here, but if you're securi…"

"I'm actually here for the concert." He interrupted. She had caught him in his lie, and now she would probably run off, leaving him red and alone. To his astonishment she giggled, grabbed his arm, and began to lead him toward the stage. "Then let's go!"

. . . . . . . . .

Her name was Rina. Rina Kizawa. After the concert, she asked if Matsuda wanted to get some dinner. He accepted, and they ate and giggled together until the restaurant closed. They dated for several months. Matsuda knew after the first time they met that he loved her, but he waited a few months to tell her. She told him that she loved him too. Matsuda proposed to her that Christmas. They married 7 months later, exactly one year after they had met. That same year, Rina became pregnant. She gave birth to a son, and they named him Soichiro in honor of the late Chief Yagami. He is now two. Matsuda was the happiest he had ever been. The Kira case and Light's death no longer hung above his head. He was rid of it forever. The new family purchased a home in a nice neighborhood, the safest in Tokyo, one untouched by crime or Kira. Life was average for the most part, with nothing "obscure". That was the case until, at least, until Light re-entered Matsuda's life.

. . . . . . . . . .

On a cool October night, Matsuda lie on his couch, sifting through reports from a recent murder case. Rina was in the kitchen making supper. Soichiro was sound asleep on Matsuda's chest. The doorbell rang. Soichiro awoke and began to cry. Matsuda cursed under his breath. "It took hours for him to fall asleep." Rina quickly rushed in to take Soichiro. Her hand was bloody. "What happened?!" Matsuda asked.

"Oh don't worry I got a little cut chopping vegetables. Answer the door already."

Matsuda grumbled and walked to the door, tripping and nearly falling on the way there. "Today just isn't my day," he thought. "I hope it's not a bad omen." He opened the door reluctantly. "Yeah what is i..." he stopped. Mrs. Yagami stood in the doorway, she was crying.

"Mrs. Yagami, what's wrong?" Matsuda asked concerned. He felt ashamed now for how he had answered the door.

"I-it's Light," she choked out.

Special cemeteries were made for victims of Kira, and one was specifically made for members of the police force. Light's grave sat next to his father's atop a hill. Matsuda arrived with Aisawa to caution tape and news vans. The two made their way to the graves. Matsuda could not believe what he saw. Someone had dug up Light's grave. The coffin was gone, and all that remained was a large hole. "After all this time, he's come back into my life?" Matsuda thought. "Why now, after everything had been going so well."

"What are you mumbling about over there?" Aisawa said.

"It's nothing," Matsuda assured. "Do we have any evidence or leads on who would do this?"

"None at all, I'm afraid. Matsuda could the conversation of two nearby officers.

"Who knows, maybe the kid dug himself out. Just up and walked away himself." The two officers laughed in unison. Matsuda pondered that. "Just up and walked away, huh." They searched for several weeks, but Light's body was never found.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The team arrested three men accused of murdering a woman in an alley a few weeks later. It was the first murder in Tokyo in several months. Their trial was set for a week from then, but they never made it to the court house. The three prisoners died in their cells. All three...from heart attacks. Before dying, each prisoner wrote two words on their cell walls. One wrote "will shine", another had "once more", and the last had written "The Light" with his blood. _**The Light will shine once more**_

The investigators were speechless. "B-bu-but how?" was all Matsuda could say. "What does this mean? It couldn't possibly be..." he faded. "I'll call Near," Aisawa mumbled.

. . . . . . . . .

Near wasn't the easiest person to get a hold of, but when Aisawa told him the news, he quickly made his way to Tokyo. He could not pass this up.

"This is certainly interesting." Near stated. Now 16, he was able to operate independently without the help of government agents.

"Could it be another Kira? Did Light have other followers?" Aisawa asked.

"That would seem to be the only logical explanation at the moment. There's not much we can do right now so we'll just have to wait..." "For more people to die?" Matsuda interrupted. "For more evidence," Near finished.

. . . . . . .

More criminals began to die. There was not many to begin with, and few new ones were revealed on television, but the few that there were, died. Most of heart attacks, some of suicide, others by "accident". They all made some sort of reference to "The Light" just before dying, whether it be a suicide note, a prayer, or a last will and testament.

The investigators were stumped. "Maybe...maybe it's a ghost." Matsuda pondered. "Don't be ridiculous Matsuda!" Aisawa lashed. "No, a ghost is a plausible answer." Near said. "Who's to say ghosts don't exist? The same person that said shinigami don't exist?" No one said a word. The case was going nowhere fast.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Several months earlier...

Issei Tanaka was your average college student. Average grades, average looks, average life. Nothing was unique about him. He seemed to lack a purpose. The shinigami watched him for several weeks before choosing him. He would not make the same mistake as in the past. He observed that Issei desired purpose, something to do. In simple terms, Issei was bored. He rented an apartment just off campus. He lived alone, no girlfriend, no roommate, nothing. He stopped at the market on the way home to pick up his dinner each night. He took the same route home every day. When he arrived home, he opened his door to the same usual smell each day. Nothing exciting, and nothing unique. He was the definition of plain.

His apartment was not large, only having two rooms. He put down his things and began to make dinner, ramen with chicken. He burned himself in the process, but it wasn't too bad. H found a bandage in the first aid kit his mother had given him several years ago. "Please be safe" she always said. He finished making and ate his dinner as he sifted through his criminal justice text book, he had an exam coming up. When he decided it was time for bed he transitioned to the other room of the apartment, he slid the door open and reached to flick on the lights, then shut the door behind him. He sat down on his bed and gave a big yawn. He undressed and folded his clothes on hangars. He checked his phone for the time. It read 11:00 pm. He had no new messages. He never did. No one ever called him, except his mother every once in a while to check on him. He always told her he was fine, and that school was ok. She always asked if he met anyone, maybe a nice girl. His response was always no. He didn't really mind. He was content with being alone. He thought about maybe calling his mother to surprise her, but thought against since she was most likely asleep. He figured he'd better just get some rest; he could always call her tomorrow. He reached to put his phone on the night stand, but froze. There, on the small table, sat a small black notebook. He had never seen it before, and it certainly wasn't his. It had no markings on it. It only had a title etched across the top of it: _**DEATH NOTE**_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Issei couldn't believe it. Could it be? He had known all about the Kira case. They had studied it in his criminal justice class. And now a notebook sat on his night stand. Did he dare touch it? He stared in awe, or maybe it was fear? Am I dreaming, he thought. No he wasn't dreaming, although he still pinched himself just to make sure. He continued to stare. What should he do? Report it to the police? But then they may suspect him as Kira. Could he just ignore it? Put away and never tell anyone about it. Or just burn it. He couldn't decide. He'd never been faced with a situation like this before. His head began to hurt. He shut his eyes to breath, and voice in his head whispered "Open it." He decided it wouldn't hurt to look at it. He reached for the note book, but stopped. He didn't want his prints on it, just in case. He went into the kitchen and grabbed a pair of rubber gloves. He sat back down on his bed and grabbed the book. A sudden jolt went through his body that made him light headed. That soon passed. He took a big breath and opened it:

_**The human whose name is written in this note shall die.**_

_**This note will not take effect unless the writer has the persons face in their mind when writing his/her name. Therefore, people sharing the same name will not be affected.**_

_**If the cause of death is written within 40 seconds of writing the person's name, it will happen.**_

_**If the cause of death is not specified the person will simply die of a heart attack.**_

_**After writing the cause of death, details of the death should be written in the next 6 minutes and 40 seconds.**_

_**This note shall become the property of the human world, once it touches the ground on (arrival in) the human world.**_

_**The owner of the note can recognize the image and voice of its original owner, i.e. a god of death.**_

_**The human who uses this note can neither go to Heaven nor Hell.**_

_**If the cause of death is written within 40 seconds after writing the cause of death will be a heart attack, the time of death can be manipulated, and the time can go into effect within 40 seconds after writing the name...**_

He stopped reading "God of Death?" he asked himself. It was then that he heard the laughter from behind him. Issei turned around, much to his own dismay. His mouth opened, but he couldn't scream. He was paralyzed. A dark figure now stood in his bedroom. Its limbs were long and thin. Its face resembled a skull, with a devilish grin. Two red eyes stared at Issei. It wore a uniform of some sort, with a red headband and goggles on its head. It looked like something out of a nightmare. Where had it come from? Did it have something to do with the notebook? The creature began to speak.

"Hello, human. Congratulations." Issei got a confused look on his face. The creature spoke once more. "I am a shinigami, a god of death. My name...is Kira."

"Kira? THE Kira?" Issei's heart was in his throat. He suddenly had to go to the bathroom. He thought about defending himself, but the creature didn't seem hostile. What did it want? Kira spoke "I have chosen to give you my power, and carry on my dream.

Issei finally spoke, "Why me?"

"I've been watching you for some time now, and decided you were the perfect person for the job", Kira responded. "That Death Note is in your possession now, so you must take responsibility for it."

Issei was cornered, what job? Responsibility? Did Kira want him to kill people? Write names down in the notebook? "What if I don't want to?" Issei asked.

The shinigami laughed "You might want to look at the last rule." Issei ran his finger to the bottom of the page. There was one last rule he hadn't seen.

_**The first person to touch this Death Note assumes possession of it, and will have it until they die. If the human who touches it refuses to accept it, he or she will die. The owner must use the Death Note once a week, and failure to do so will result in death.**_

Kira smirked. "Looks like we'll be seeing a lot of each other from now on." But wait, Issei was wearing gloves, he hadn't ACTUALLY touched it.

"But I haven't touched it! I have gloves on!" Issei contested.

"Silly human, who said anything about hands? It's sitting in your lap. You're touching it."

Issei's heart sank. He had lost. He had no choice.

Kira laughed. "Now that that's settled. Let's get started. I need you to go somewhere and retrieve something for me."

Kira was already ordering him around? Was he cursed to be a slave to this notebook and God of Death forever? "Where do you want me to go?" He asked.

Kira grinned. "A cemetery."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The first people Issei killed were the three murderers on trial. Their names had been all over the news so they were easy targets. He expected to feel something when he wrote the men's names in the Note Book, but to his surprise, he felt indifferent. He did not find the enjoyment that Kira did, but he figured if he was going to continue to do this it'd be best if he felt as little guilt as possible.

The months passed and Issei wrote down more criminals names in the notebook. No one ever seemed to suspect him, he just blended in. He still wondered why Kira chose him, but he never bothered to ask. In the meantime, Near and the investigators were struggling to keep the case alive. Matsuda was the first to lose faith.

"Maybe...maybe we should just let it be, this Kira only seems to kill criminals, just like the old ones."

"Matsuda, how could you say that!?" Aisawa scolded.

"Because, I don't want to die! I have a family now. Just like you said all those years ago Aisawa. I have others to think about now." Aisawa remained silent.

"He's right, besides, I work better alone." Near said. Aisawa face lit up with anger. "Enough of that Near, we have just as much right to this as you do. And Matsuda, stop being so negative. We did this once we can most certainly do it again."

"Negative? Negative!?" I've had enough of you always putting me down Aisawa. You got off easy. At least you're not the one who had to kill Light!"Aisawa let down his guard.

"Matsuda I…" but it was too late. Matsuda was already making his way to the entrance of the building. He was full of guilt, and had no way of dealing with it. He stopped to take a deep breath to calm himself. He had reached the exit. He was about to go back to resolve things, but he stopped and looked out the front door. Something shimmered on the ground in the light. He opened the door and looked down. His eyes widened. A bead of sweat ran down his forehead.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The shinigami didn't always follow Issei around, and he was relieved at that. He only saw him in his apartment. "I wonder where he goes." Issei thought.

That night Kira appeared and demanded Issei deliver something to the door of the Investigator's HQ. Kira handed him a watch and instructed him to place in front of the door with a page from the death note under it. He had no idea what Kira was planning, and he didn't want to know. He only did what he was told. "Make sure not to be seen." Kira instructed.

. . . . . . . . .

Outside the station, Matsuda stood staring down at the ground, mouth gaped. A single piece of paper sat on the ground, weighed down by a wristwatch. It looked identical to another one he knew of, but it couldn't be the same one. Could it? He picked them both up and went back inside. Aisawa and Near were still inside, discussing how to proceed with the case.

"I...I just found new evidence," Matsuda stuttered.

"What do you mean new evidence, you just walked out?" Aisawa questioned. Matsuda held up the paper and wristwatch. Aisawa's eyes widened, Near smiled.

"This case just got a lot more interesting."

"It was just sitting out front." Someone must have left it there. Maybe this new Kira is toying with us.

"I agree Matsuda, or maybe he's trying to send us a message." Near said.

That night in his apartment Issei questioned Kira about his purpose. "Shinigami, why am I killing these people?"

"To create a new world…for justice. One where no man will dare commit evil acts. And you, human, will be a god."

"A god?" Issei thought. "Is that even possible?"

"Soon nothing will stand in our way. My plan is about to take shape."

. . . . . . . . . . .

Matsuda had trouble sleeping that night. He couldn't stop thinking about the wrist watch. Was it the same one worn by…." his thoughts trailed into sleep. As he shut his eyes, he finally began to relax. He dreamed of a shadowy figure. Matsuda lay in a puddle, unable to move. His breathing was heavy, and he couldn't feel his right hand. The figure moved toward him. It had a limp. Its eyes glowed red. As the shadow neared, Matsuda could make out a tattered bloody suit, a red tie, and spiked brown hair. A notebook was clutched in its left hand. The figure laughed. It moved closer and closer, until it stopped and knelt at Matsuda's feet. It proceeded to hold its right hand up like a gun before aiming down at Matsuda's head and pretending to fire. It moved closer, and Matsuda now saw a familiar grin. It spoke. "I will shine once more." Soichiro and Rina both woke from Matsuda's screams.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Matsuda didn't tell anyone about his dream. However, the others could tell that something was bothering him. "Stress over the case," was his explanation. Near was beginning to put things together, or so he thought.

"Based off this latest evidence, it appears Light had other followers, and there are either more pages of the notebooks we don't know about, or there was another notebook entirely."

"But if there was another notebook wouldn't there be another shinigami?"Aisawa asked. Matsuda cringed, he thought of his dream. "Another shinigami?"

"So if this page is from another notebook, then we should just be looking for another shinigami, right?" Aisawa said.

"It would appear that way, but why would they just hand us this? It's too eas..." Near's eyes widened. "Everyone, touch the page and look around the room now!" he shouted. Caught off guard, everyone stumbled to touch the page, and scanned the room. They saw nothing unusual. Near gave out a sigh of relief. "Something tells me that if there is another shinigami, it's somehow different from the others we've dealt with. It's like it wants us to discover it."

. . . . . . . .

Kira's plan was taking shape, and as support for his cause continued to grow, he knew the time to take action would be soon. Issei had finished writing names for the night, and was preparing to go to bed. Kira turned to him. "Say Issei, how'd you like to make a deal?" He grinned. Issei didn't like the sound of that.

"What kind of deal?" Issei asked. Kira explained the use of the shinigami eyes, and how humans could obtain them by giving up half their remaining life span.

"Why would I want them?" Issei questioned. "Because with them you could become a god." Kira cackled. Become a god? Issei thought. His goal was to become a detective. It wasn't that he hated evil or had any great sense of justice; it was simply something his father wished for him to do. Issei never really had a childhood dream or anything like that. His father was a patrol officer that never got a shot at becoming a detective. So maybe he thought if he couldn't be one, his son could. But a god? Was Kira just trying to trick him?

"How do I know you're not just trying to swindle me?"

"Because Issei, I am a Shinigami, people only fear me. In this new world, I will need a figure head. Someone the people will love. That person could be you. The only thing stopping that from happening is you not making this deal.

"Is that so?" Issei said. "Well how much longer am I supposed to live?"

"I cannot tell you that." Kira smiled. "And even if I could I wouldn't tell you."

Issei was stuck. Was Kira serious? Could he actually be a god? A king of the new world? Was that worth half his life? If he were going to have this note book for the rest of his life, he'd rather live half the time prosperously then all of it miserably.

"So do we have a deal?" Kira interrupted. Issei, believing Kira and thinking he could get out of this day to day killing and torture, accepted. "It's a deal."

Kira laughed. He knew Issei had been the right choice. The others before him all had a connection to Kira, a reason to be a suspect. Issei had none of this. He was very easy to manipulate. There was no possible way to connect him to any killings or relations to Kira. He simply blended in to the crowd. He was the perfect killer. As long as he never learned the truth about the final rule in the notebook.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"So you're saying that this Shinigami wants attention?" Aisawa seemed confused. "I thought the Shinigami just sat back and watched things unfold?"

"In the previous cases yes, the shinigami have shown no hostility or intent, they were simply spectators. However, I believe this shinigami is different. I believe it wants us to know of its presence. It wants to send a message. In fact, it may even be controlling whoever has the Death Note, and using him or her for its own intentions. It may be using this person" Near explained. "The Light will shine once more." He said the phrase over and over to himself. "Could it really be him?" Near wasn't one to believe ghost stories, but all the pieces seemed to add up. "Aisawa, did we ever turn up anything regarding Light Yagami's body?"

"Not much. There was a set of footprints, but not much else. They took everything, coffin and all."

"Interesting. Think, why would someone want Light's body? And why would they take the whole coffin? That would be extra weight that would only slow the thief down. Whoever took Light's body wants to preserve it." Near concluded.

"Preserve it? Preserve it for what?" Matsuda questioned.

"That, I haven't figured out yet. Also, this watch," Near held up the silver watch, "is the same watch Light wore when he was buried. Therefore, whoever has the death note also has Light Yagami's body."

Matsuda shivered, "ok, this is starting to get creepy."

"Yeah," Aisawa agreed, "but who else could have known Light was Kira?"

"No one, I'm certain of that. Light never associated with more people than he needed to." Near said.

"But then how could this new Kira have known Light's identity?" Aisawa asked.

The three continued to run through the case, seeming to generate more questions than answers. Meanwhile, in the darkest corner of the large control room, a pair of bright red eyes watched, unbeknownst to the three men in the room. He slowly backed away, fazing through the wall and out of sight completely. It was time to enact the plan.

. . . . . . . . .

Issei sat alone in his apartment. He sat and did nothing. He hadn't seen Kira in nearly three days, and didn't mind at all. In fact, the less he saw Kira the better. His train of thought was interrupted by his phone ringing. He answered to the voice of his father. How odd, it was usually his mother who called.

"Son, I'd like it if you came by for dinner tonight. Were guests that I'd like you to meet," his father said. He had nothing better to do, and Kira hadn't given him any orders to carry out, plus it was free food.

"Sure, I guess I could stop by."

"Great, be here around seven." He hung up the phone. His father sounded…excited? That was like him. Issei wondered who these "guests" were.

Issei hadn't visited the house he grew up in for nearly 3 years. His mother always met him somewhere, and he rarely saw his father. He walked through the metal gate to the front door of his old home. The door had begun to chip away; in fact, the whole house looked to be in a state of decay. His parents obviously were getting older and couldn't maintain the house anymore. He knocked on the door only twice. He didn't want to seem eager to be there. His father opened the door.

"Issei," he said with a smile, "long time no see."

"Hey dad," was all he could manage. His father escorted him to the living room where three strangers sat on the sofa. A man and woman, Issei assumed to be husband and wife, and a young woman, he assumed their daughter. His father wrapped his arm over Issei's shoulder.

"Here he is at last," his father said. Who were these people? "This is my son Issei." The man stood up and extended a hand. Issei reached out and shook. The stranger had an unusually firm grip.

"Pleased to meet you, your father's told me a lot of great things about you," he said. "My name is Shuichi Aizawa, I'm chief of the NPA." Issei froze. A detective? Had he been discovered? Was he here to arrest him? No, he wouldn't bring his family for that. Maybe he's just investigating him. All he needs to do is act normal and he won't suspect a thing. "Are you ok?" he interrupted.

"Yes, sorry, I just have to use the bathroom. Excuse me." Issei scurried to the bathroom and locked the door behind him.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Issei turned on the sink to splash some water in his face, but his trembling hands made it difficult. Someone knocked on the door.

"Sweetie, are you ok?" It was his mother. "Dinner's almost ready."

"I'll be right out." It was all he could choke out. It felt like something was lodged in his throat, and it made it difficult for him to breath. He paused. He reassured himself that no one knew what he was doing. There's no way anyone could know. Kira picked him for that reason. He thought just coming clean right there. If he said he was a hostage, maybe they'd let him go. But then Kira would most likely kill him, so he quickly shot that idea down. Another knock.

"Issei hurry up, don't keep our guests waiting." It was his father this time. He sounded annoyed. Issei gathered himself. He turned to shut off the water, and his blood ran cold from what he saw. There in the mirror, with a huge grin on his face, was Kira.

"What are you doing here?!" Issei whispered. Kira made a shooshing notion and pointed to the door, and then cupped his ear. Someone was listening.

"Are you talking to yourself? Hurry and get out here, dinner is ready." The annoyed tone was more obvious in his father's voice now. Issei turned to open the door, and Kira phased out into the wall.

The detective and his family were already seated at the table, along with Issei's mother. His father was taking his seat. He walked in himself, blushing red.

"Sorry about that everyone. Just had a little head rush."

"You must be hungry then," the detective shot back with a smile. Issei took the empty seat next to the daughter. She sat politely. Hands folded waiting to grace the meal. "Thank you for the meal." They all said it in unison, but Issei lagged behind. It was the first time he wasn't eating alone in months. The detective immediately began stuffing his face. Issei's mother's cooking had that effect on people. He spoke with a mouthful of food.

"Oh Issei, you ran off so quick I didn't get a chance to introduce you. This is my daughter Yumi. The girl froze, almost caught off guard. She looked down and put her hands in her lap. "It's a pleasure to meet you," she squeaked out. She was so cute.

Issei smiled, "It's nice to meet you Yumi. That's a pretty name." She blushed and fumbled with her chopsticks.

"Oh, thank you."

"Hey! Don't get any ideas with my daughter." The detective looked at Issei and winked. Was he drunk? How long had had he been in the bathroom? Yumi shot a quick glance of annoyance at her father, but he didn't even notice.

They spent the rest of dinner talking mostly about law and the sort. Turns Aizawa had worked on the Kira case for many years, and they thought they were rid of him until this "new" Kira showed up. Issei was very uncomfortable the entire time. It was almost like Aizawa was grilling him informally. Like he was an unofficial suspect. Maybe that's just how detectives are, he thought. When dinner was over Aizawa and Mr. Tanaka moved to the living room to talk about old police films. Mrs. Tanaka showed Yumi and her mother around the house. Issei was tidying up the table when his mother called to him from upstairs.

"Issei. Why don't you show Yumi around the neighborhood," she called down. He knew his parents were up to something when they suddenly invited him to dinner. They were trying to set him up with a job and a girlfriend in one shot. He decided he might as well play along. Yumi plodded down the stairs, half smiling and embarassed again. Issei had a feeling she too saw what was going on. He held out his arm and smiled. "Shall we go?"

There was nothing special about the neighborhood his parents lived in. There was a small park a few blocks over, so he decided to take her there. They walked in unison down the sidewalk. Her arm was still wrapped around his, and he could feel her clutching on to his coat. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yeah I'm ok. I'm just not too fond of being out at night," she said. Issei thought that was strange. Crime was at an all time low. Kira made sure of that.

"It's ok, nothing will happen as long as I'm with you." He sounded so corny. However, this seemed to calm her nerves, and she loosened her grip on his jacket. He led her into the park. There was a small pond in the middle covered by a willow tree. It was actually quite a pretty sight during the day, but at night it had a more creepy vibe to it.

"So you're a college student?" Yumi said. "And you live alone. What's that like?" she sounded sincere, like she actuallt wanted to know.

"It can be pretty lonely." He said. "You have to find ways to keep yourself busy." He totally just told her he masturbates all day. He sounded like a creep now. Surprisingly, she agreed.

"I bet that's awful. I sort of know how you feel. My father is always working, and mother goes out a lot. I end up being home alone a lot of the time."

"Don't you have friends?" he asked. She looked at him and frowned.

"We were always moving around and in protection programs because my father was on the Kira case. I never really got he chance to know anyone. I was so happy when the Kira killings stopped. Dad was home more often. We were more like a family again. But now that Kira is back, he's been home less and less." she really sounded depressed. Not thinking, Issei put his arm around her and hugged her. She was initially caught off guard, but soon she accepted it and returned it. Her body was warm. Issei had never felt anything like it. It was the closest he'd ever been to a woman. He let go to draw away, but she didn't let go. She began to cry softly. What had he done? She looked up at him and smiled with tears running down her face.

"Thank you," she choked out.

"For what?" he said.

"For listening," she said. He took her hand and patted it softly.

"Anytime he said. It's no fun being lonely after all," he said. "We should head back." Issei held her hand the entire walk home. She seemed more comfortable now. When they reached the door she paused, turned to him, leaned up a kissed him on the cheek before scurrying inside. He smiled. It was strange. This was the first time he'd felt happy in months.


End file.
